Environmental Impact Assessment: Improving Processes and Techniques

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a commonly applied mechanism for managing adverse environmental effects of development. While there are widespread requirements for undertaking EIAs within Australia, there remain limitations in the capacity to meet all expectations. Such limitations are mostly apparent in relation to land use planning, natural resource management and the assessment of cumulative environmental impacts. Improved methods and procedures are needed to achieve more effective development planning and natural resource management and to implement the principles of ecologically sustainable development. They include improved information systems, better scoping mechanisms, more rigorous predictive modelling and broader assessment methods including area-wide and strategic environmental assessments.